South Korea to pursue 50,000 tons of rice aid to North

North Koreans work in the fields near the North Korean city Sinuiju, across the Yalu River from Dandong, China. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

July 22 (UPI) -- South Korea plans to push forward with food aid to North Korea amid what Pyongyang has said is a severe drought that has affected crops in the country.

Seoul's unification ministry said Monday it will continue to work with the World Food Program to donate 50,000 tons of rice to the North, deputy ministry spokesperson Kim Eun-han said Monday.

"At this point we continue to push ahead with the goal of sending the first shipment in July," the ministry said. "And we will do our best to ensure 50,000 tons of aid is shipped without setbacks, by September."

Seoul had originally planned for the first shipment to leave for North Korea by July. But the first shipment may be being delayed due to steps required to receive sanctions exemptions, Yonhap reported.

North Korea has not engaged in provocations since the meeting between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump at Panmunjom in late June, but Pyongyang has warned nuclear talks are at risk because of joint exercises.

Harry Kazianis, a U.S. analyst with the Center for the National Interest, said this could be a "misunderstanding."

Kazianis said in an opinion piece on Fox News that U.S. and South Korean officials told him the suspension of exercises were not promised at Panmunjom.